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As the soldier interrupted her again, Siltaris blinked slowly and kept her eyes close for a brief moment longer than she normally does. When she opened her eyes again she looked at the elf in front of her and then slowly turned towards the soldier leaning at the door. She let her right hand on the backrest of the chair while she just made a half step to the side. In the course of this movement she laid her hand instinctively on the hilt of her sword again.

Now she looked directly into the stranger's eyes. Her moss green eyes shined challenging and reflected parts of her resentment of just have been interrupted.

She did not listen to the barbarians words coming somewhere from her side as she spoke with clear voice

"I do not exactly know in which matters you are callow, stranger, but I have the strong feeling that good manners are one of them."

The sudden meeting of their steady gaze appended to her words gave him a somewhat rapturous feeling, but he was careful to show none. He liked what he considered as a direct but unclear confrontation.

A slight hidden disappointment there was though. Her response was not exactly what he anticipated, but nonetheless, he maintained the emotions held by his facial expression, not letting his confidence falter by the least bit.

"First impressions rarely are precise, woman."

Again, he refused to show her appropriate respect, still acting to be unaware of her position.

"Anyhow, I expected a warmer welcome to this, magnificent isle."

He expressed a slightly increased dramatic tone at the last two words but not so much that it would too obvious to comprehend.

She kept her gaze upon his eyes and waited a few seconds before she answered

"Fine then... Welcome to the biggest town of this magnificient island."

While she spoke she lifted her hand from the hilt of her sword and made a slight move through the air and continued in the same moment

"And although you are here in the biggest town, most of its inhabitants are not completely unaware of some farmer's experiences... one of them asserts 'As you sow, so shall you reap'."

By her last words she smirked very slightly, not too obvious, just more to herself.

The unnamed one remained fairly indifferent to her claims, nodding once but barely visible. At her finish, he turned his head and peeped through the window whilst speaking again.

"Biggest town hm? I..."

Coming to a brief pause, he stood straight again, facing the lady. Rethinking the words that would follow in an instant, he continued the sentence in a differet way than what would have been said at first.

"...thank you for the nicer welcome..."

Then his eyes went astray and in a low, dimmer voice, as if pronouncing an unclear side remark, he continued:

"...after having requested it."

Leaving no chance for a reaction to that, he quickly looks back at her, returning to his usual voice.

"Um..."

At that point, he smiled in a conciously foolish manner, but for just an instant.

"Would you know of a person who might be best to aid me in finding a particular man?"

A smile similar to his previous reappeared, but not so idiotic this time, and he waited patiently for her answering back.

as the tension gets less, the barbarian concentrates more on his "tailoring".
the arm wound sewed and bandaged,
he draws himself on the wellpolished counter, and reels off a dirty, soaked bandage from his thigh.

he holds out the needle to the merchant, who is sadly looking at his formerly clean counter, while some dark, thick blood drops on counter and floor.

---...---

after stiching up all his wounds, the barbarian gets bored by the prolonged silence, takes his axe, goes to the door, and, casually pushing aside the soldier, leaves the store.

.

She kept her gaze upon him while he spoke. At the end of his sentence she raised softly an eyebrow for a moment and turned her head then to look out of the window, seeing people passing by.

"On this island, there are many ways in finding someone... I would say that there should be many people around who would be glad to help you with finding this 'particular person'...

She slowly turned her head to him

"...With most of these persons it would be just a matter of adequate reward, as you surely know."

On spotting the barbarian approach closer, clearly wanting to pass, the soldier took one sideway step. He watched the elderly man pass through the doorway, his lips tracing his usual smirk. At the moment the woman speaks, he turns and looks back at her.

After noticing her gaze, looking through the window aswell while she spoke. He nodded slowly but repeatedly, facing her again once she came to a finish.

"Lady, I am sure people are that kind around here but please understand my position, that I do not wish to make this searched person known by anyone around..."

Glancing behind his shoulder, he continued the sentence, sounding more like a side remark.

"...like foresters."

He looked back at her with a shrug, smiling in a puckish manner for a short time.

She waited a moment before she answered reflecting on his words. While she thought about his words, her gaze rested upon the man's eyes, however, it seemes for a moment she would look though him. She blinked once and focused his eyes again having a slight smile on her lips again.

"At least the town's forester seemed to be obliging enough to introduce himself... "

She took the hand off the chairs backrest and laid the hand on the other hand which already rested upon the hilt of her sword.

"...and as it seems, the forester was able to give you at least some... useful information...?"

She kept a slight smile on her face, now having an idea that the man seemed to be aware of who she might be.

The still unnamed man started to perceive her awareness, and this caused an elicited amused grin which he quickly avoided to reveal. He still obstinated himself against forfeiting his ignorance of her title.

Leaving his hand from the sword's grip, he winded his fingers and stares at his nails once again. It was at that point when he spoke out.

"Useful information hm?"

A shrug ensued the question, and thereafter he looked up at her, now abiding to his indifferent features. His hand, as usual, rested itself upon the sword again.

"Nothing really. Apart that he didn't much care about my situation. Though I should guess he's one of those...kind men around here."

"In this town it has little to do with lack of kindness when someone does not care for the situation of a stranger." she spoke while looking at him. "Though, apparently you are new to this island and might have a different view on .. proper behaviour."

Damien watches the conversation seemingly without much interest. Even though his face is not showing any expression he seems to keep an eye on the Knight. He has now taken the staff down, leaning it against his shoulder while its lower end rests on the ground. After Siltaris words he slightly turns his head towards her direction, speaking quietly. "Other cultures, other habits. He has propably grown up in Albar. Albarian nobles and those in their direct service usually think low of every person without an inherited title."

"Indeed it is so, but I never doubted his kindness."

Subsequent to his first, rather quick response, he turned his head and paused briefly on the elf after hearing his quiet mumbling. Having somewhat caught the words, he nods and lets out a fleeting half laugh before he speaks in a low remarking voice.

"Elves...Good observers."

Afterwards, he inhaled deeply and twisted his head further to peer outside through the shop's sidedoor.

"Anyhow, perhaps it is time for me to depart. I can't stick here until I accomplish my duties."

He lifted his chin by a small degree and strained his eyes a little as if staring far away, all this whilst waiting keenly for the woman's reaction.

Her gaze jumped to the elf when he spoke. When hearing the word 'Albar', pictures came to her mind. Pictures where she was sitting in the deep woods of Mortock around a fire. The whole clan was there. All sisters, all mothers. Old stories were told. She listened to them, eager to her of those who men who do not respect women at all. Stories of those men who use women. Men whose behaviour has been the same for centuries. Men who deserve to be condemned since centuries.

She never has met a man from Albar before. It was the stories which gave her a bad feeling when hearing the word 'Albar'. It was her chieldhood where her mothers' voices were filled with contempt when speaking about those men.

She turned her head slowly back to this man. Her gaze now wandered down and up his body again. Examining him again as if there would be another person standing in front of her right now than a few moments before. Intuetively her hand grabed the hilt of her sword a bit harder; though unvisible for the man, since her other hand still laid over the other.

When the man finished his last sentence she raised her voice. There was no smile on her face any more at all. One who might have a quick look at her face in this moment could interpret the expression in her face as callousness. One who would know her better could notice that there was more than that... contempt... hostility.

"These lands are free lands. Everyone has the same rights. You are free to move wherever you want."

She spoke with cold voice in a rather commanding tone.

"Respect the laws of this town, Albarian, while you stay in this town."

Then she pulled the chair towards her and slowly was about to sit down. Still looking at him. After a while she would remove her gaze from him, demonstratively showing no interest at all any more in him.

Na-Chaya watching the scene from a window outside. Her cool blue-violet eyes resting on Siltaris.
It seems she hesitate to step in the shop for now, but finally she moves in, passing Siltaris with a nod, ignoring the others.

Her hands covered in silvery mitten gloves, her face hidden under a black lace veil she rushes through the room. She deals quickly with Eliza and left the shop, not looking back. Only a light scent of flowers reminds that a woman has passed the Shop.

The moment Siltaris began to speak, he looked at her, paying no heed to the veiled person that skimmed through the room. The eagerness in him quickly faded away in the moment he became aware of a peculiarity in her expression, which was present aswell in her tone. What it exactly meant, he did not know. But it surely brought about a curiosity in him.

Averting the further inspection of that oddness, he simply listened attentively to her and then he nodded once.

"Of course, Miss...?"

His sentence ended in a questioning tone, hoping for the answer he expects. At this point, a slight, eager smile could be read off his lips.

She just had a brief look at Na-Chaya passing by. There was no smile Siltaris offered to her, even not a nod. She then lowered her gaze, looking down at the table. After the Albarian raised his voice to a questioing tone, she slowly moved her gaze up.
First she looked at the elf next to her.
She remained silent.
She turned her head slowly to the Albarian again, focussing him.
She remained silent.
Her moss green eyes seemed to sparkle, when she finally raised her voice.

"My name, Albarian, is Siltaris. Governor of Troll's Bane." she said, while sitting on the chair. Her hand now rested on the table, folded. She waited for any reaction, keeping the eye contact still with a strange expression on her face and in her eyes.

The smile that the soldier's lips carried dissolved suddenly at the pronounciation of her name. He lifted his eyebrows and blinked a few times, apparently surprised at the claim.

He then looks over to the elf and back to the woman as if disbelieving the fact. The moment of silence lingered for a little more until finally he laughed soundly, but resulting to be fairly odd and unnatural. Whilst trying to calm down, he shook his head and lifted his hand apologetically.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I apologize for that..."

Another chuckle followed, but was cut short as he cleared his throat.

"I...I just never expected a woman, to be a governor."

He had more or less avoided her eyes in the last seconds but now, as he came to a short pause readily awaiting for a possible reaction, his gaze settled stably on hers.

While the Albarian spoke, she kept her gaze upon him. Even when he laughed in his rather awkward way, she looked at him. Not any change in the expression of her face.

"I believe you that you never expected a woman being governor... other culture, other habit."

She narrowed her eyes very slightly which was hard to perceive from the distance

"If you accept our culture you might have the chance to enjoy your stay here. If not, I would advise you to leave these lands immediately."

"Oh, but I'm not here to enjoy myself. I'm here on...duties, and sadly enough, I would soon have to depart from this isle."

He then looks around very slowly, and mumbles in a lower voice, as if the words were only directed to himself.

"Yes, very sad. This place almost amuses me."

And again, he looks back to Siltaris with a purposely childish smile.

"Whatever your duties or affairs might be and whenever you have to leave this island again - this is your own business."

She did not react to his chieldish smile at all. Rather it seems she wants to finish this discussion as soon as possible.

"But if you have to leave soon, then I advise you to start with making your business... by doing so you would also not hold others off doing theirs..."

She lifted a hand and moved it down to a pocket in her robe, where she was about to take a parchment out.

He had felt an increasing seriousness in her now, perhaps, he thought, he prolonged this too much. In any case, he really had his own tasks that he should get done with.

At that, he ceased his humour and the smile dispersed as his face turned serious. His moved his hand into his belt, where he took out a rolled lightly ragged parchment.

After having unfolded it, he takes a step forward, reaching his hand ahead and placing the straightened paper on the table just before Siltaris. He withdrew his step back again, and his hand, as always, supported itself against his sword.


The note consisted only of a scribbled name, the letters written in big, but lacking neatness. It read:

Jorokar Sladrir


With an unyielding tone, he finally spoke then.

"The person I'm searching for. Seen around here or not, is all I want to know."

Now the soldier stared intently into Siltaris' eyes, examining her reaction closely.

When the Albarian placed the paper in front of her, her hand still was in the pocket of her robe. She had a brief look at his paper but it was enough to let her pause for a moment. Then she took out her own folded parchment and placed it in front of her. She read the name once more. Then she asked while keeping her gaze upon the parchment

"Who wants to know that, Albarian? It is against my principles to talk about other persons while I do not know the name of the one who seeks my help."

After having finished her last sentence she raised her gaze once more to look at him with distanced expression on her face. Different from before there seemed to be something like little interest now in her eyes.

Even though no change was visible in him, the Albarian man seemed to ponder about her inquiry. He man remained still and quiet for a few seconds. Then, upon deciding, he replied with the same tone of voice.

"Dalan Ginthor, in the name of His Lordship, Dimatreus of Catria."

It was like there had been a susceptible difference in him now. It seemed like a new person had spoken out. The sounding of his voice was stern, and the looks of his face were strict.

She remained silent for a brief moment after he spoke out his name and kept on looking at him, making no movement at all, maybe examining if she could trust his words.

Then, suddenly, she moved her hands towards his parchment and shifted it over the wooden table closer to him.

"Yes, seen around.", she spoke while shifting the parchment.

Seemingly surprised at her response, he remained speechless at first, his eyes lowering down to the slided parchment. He appeared thoughtful, reassessing her words which soon casted a smirk on his lips.

"Finally..."

The soldier articulated in an almost unheard tone, more or less words that reflected his thoughts.

"We've found you."

With a blink, he looked up at Siltaris, and all the harshness that had been visible in his facial expression was now close to have faded completely away. He spoke to her then, whilst stretching his hand forward to fetch the paper.

"And, might I know if I could find him in this particular town?"

"Jorokar Sladrir is a citizen of this town.", she spoke while she raised her hand and by doing she left the parchment laying on the middle of the table.

She has noticed that there was something strange in the reaction of the man before, so she continued

"He is one of the most honorable men around. If you would introduce me into the affair I will see how I can help."

Siltaris now has folded her hands over each other again and still looked to the Albarian.

Dalan folded the parchment carelessly and squeezed it into his belt, the smirk that his lips worn persisted, even widened. He then nodded while looking down at his belt and spoke.

"Oh no doubt he's an honorable man."

After that, he breathed deeply in and, looking at her with a gratified smile, he inclined his head downwards in a polite manner.

"My thanks, governor."

Now he didn't seem to want to speak further, rather wanting to end the conversation. With this in his mind, he turned around and slowly marched towards the sidedoor with the clear intention of leaving the building, satisfied.